UK Warns of Scam Phone Attempts to obtain Tax details
HMRC
The U.K tax authorities (HMRC) have now issued a warning of attempts to obtain U.K taxpayers’ personal information by telephone.
Scammers and fraudsters are pretending to be HMRC officials and contacting taxpayers regarding a bogus tax rebate and asking for details of the individual’s bank account. HMRC is warning that victims risk having their bank accounts emptied and their personal details sold on to other organized criminal elements.
Chris Hopson, Director of Customer Contact at HMRC, said “We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. We never use telephone calls, e-mails or external companies in these circumstances. We strongly urge anyone receiving such a phone call not to give any information to the caller, but report it to the police straightaway.”
If taxpayers receive an e-mail claiming to be from HMRC, HMRC says that they should send it to HMRC for investigation at <phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk> and then delete it from their computer. HMRC adds that in the last three months, it has shut down over 180 Web sites that were responsible for sending out the fake tax rebate e-mails.
HMRC strongly advises customers:
• to check the advice published at www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm to see if the e-mail they have received is listed;
• to forward suspicious e-mails to HMRC at <phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk> and then delete it from their computer/mail account;
• not to visit Web sites and click on links contained in suspicious e-mails, or open attachments;
• to follow advice from www.getsafeonline.co.uk.
HMRC concludes by saying that “…If you have reason to believe that you have been the victim of an e-mail scam, report the matter to your bank/card issuer as soon as possible. If in doubt, please check it out with HMRC at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/fraud-attempts.htm.”
Source: KPMG
Related News Stories: